


The Raven's Call

by AsylumWritings



Series: A Treachery of Ravens [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game), Gotham (TV)
Genre: Blood, F/M, Flashbacks, Murder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Sex, Torture, insane asylum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:26:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28769292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsylumWritings/pseuds/AsylumWritings
Summary: Locked up in Arkham for her crimes, Brianna desperately tries to stay unscathed until Oz can get to her, with help from her old friend. When she becomes the obsession of one Jonathan Crane, it becomes that much harder for her to keep herself safe.Aesthetics Board: https://www.pinterest.com.au/AsylumMaiden/writing-aesthetics/wip-the-ravens-call/
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Original Female Character(s)
Series: A Treachery of Ravens [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2109264
Kudos: 5
Collections: DC: Dark Magic and Dark Actions





	1. Paradise Lost

### Chapter One: Paradise Lost

_In a mad world, only the mad are sane. **Akira Kurosawa**_

“Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” The judge asked.  
I stood behind the desk, next to the defence lawyer that Oz had hired for me. I had no idea what they were going to say, but after a month in the women’s wing at Blackgate, I didn’t think I could handle much more.  
“Yes, we have, your honour.” The foreman stood up to speak. “We find the defendant not guilty by reason of insanity.”  
Trying not to cry, I wrapped my arms around myself. I was relieved, but only momentarily, until the judge spoke again.  
“Brianna Grace. You have been found not guilty, and will be placed in the custody of Arkham Asylum until such time as you are deemed safe to rejoin society.” She stated, banging her gavel.  
A red haze swept across my vision and I launched myself over the desk at her. Before I could get very far, I was grabbed by two guards and dragged out of the courthouse to the transport area.  
“Let go of me!” I screamed, struggling against them.  
The bigger of the two guards threw me forward against the van, yanking my arms behind me and cuffing my wrists together. Then he pulled me around to the back, forcing me inside.  
“Fuck off.” I snapped, sliding along the bench as he climbed in across from me.  
“That’s not polite.” He pulled out his nightstick, tapping the scar on the side of my face. “Who gave that to you?”  
“An asshole with a grudge.” I bit my lip with a smile. “But it’s cool. I made sure he won’t forget me anytime soon.”  
The van began to move, and I sighed, leaning back against the cold metal. It was a longer drive than I expected, though that might have been because I was dreading it.  
It was strange, like I completely zoned out, and the rest of the afternoon was kind of a blur. I was pulled from place to place, questioned, studied, looked over, until finally I was taken to my cell. It was somehow even smaller than the one in Blackgate, but it had a barred window, so at least I could get some fresh air.  
I heard the cuffs click as the guard unlocked them, then I stepped inside, sitting down on the bed. Taking a deep breath, I felt my chest ache a little. My bullet wound was nearly healed, but it still felt so bruised.  
As I looked out the window, I heard a familiar croak, and the raven flew past. I stood and walked over, reaching my hands out. It settled down on one of my hands, and I gently ran my fingers along its feathers.

***

_“She’s been moved to Arkham.” Butch said, sitting across the table from him._  
 _“I don’t want her there for too long.” He replied, leaning on the hardwood. “They’ll hurt her.”_  
 _Butch sighed. “I know, Boss. But we need to get you out of here first. The men are getting restless, uncertain, and I don’t know how much longer they will listen to me.”_

***

I sat down at the table with my food. It did not look appealing, but it was something to eat, and I was hungry. Before I could even start, someone sat down across from me.  
Looking up, I recognised who it was, and sighed.  
“I was wondering where you’d gone, Ed.” I said quietly, taking a drink of water. “How long have you been stuck here?”  
He laughed, running his fingers through his dark hair. “Few months.”  
“And you haven’t managed to escape yet? I’m disappointed.” Resting my chin in my hand, I watched him.  
“I haven’t tried yet.” He shrugged. “It’s far more interesting seeing who comes and goes here than anything I have planned right now. I never expected to see you here, though.” He reached out, taking hold of my arm and looking at my scars. “Tommy Bones did this? I heard that during your trial.”  
I nodded. “I scratched at his face when Maroni had me kidnapped. He… took personal offence to that.”  
“And you punished him for it.” He studied my face. “Seems logical to me.”  
I was about to say more, but hesitated for a second. I wanted to be get out of here as soon as possible, but that would require convincing the doctors that I was sane again. So if I just freely handed out information about what I had done, I wasn’t sure if that would get back to them. I’d known Ed for a long time, but I wasn’t sure if he’d changed since he’d been locked up here.  
He saw the look on my face and shook his head. “Relax. I’m hardly going to tell anyone what you’ve told me. It’s not like I’d get anything out of it.”  
“I carved my name into nearly every inch of his skin.” I took a bite of bread. “I could have killed him, but it’s much more satisfying knowing that he lives with a reminder of me all over him.” Tapping on the table, I had a thought. “So tell me, who’s in charge here? Or, rather, who do I need to befriend to make sure I stay safe?”  
He nodded at someone behind me, and I turned to find a man sitting in the corner. He sat casually on a bench, but I could tell he felt superior to the patients around him. His dark hair fell between his wire-framed glasses and his eyes, but he brushed it aside.  
I turned back, away from his dark eyes. “Who is that?”  
“Jonathan Crane.”  
“The Scarecrow?” I whispered, playing with my hair. “I don’t think even I can tame that.”  
He shrugged again, standing up. “It might be worth a try.”  
I watched him walk to the door, then returned to picking at my food. I’d barely eaten anything when someone grabbed my arm. Spinning around, I ripped their hand off me and slammed them down on the table. It was a man, completely unspectacular.  
Holding this random patient’s head in place against the wood, I leaned in close.  
“Don’t touch me, or I’ll make your life here even worse than it already is.” I said, before shoving him to the floor.  
He looked up at me with wide eyes, then scrambled away. As I watched him run, I caught the eye of Crane, before looking away. I just wanted to eat my food and go back to my cell, but I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to get any peace whenever I was in these common areas.  
I was right, because a few moments later, Jonathan Crane sat down beside me. He was taller than I expected, but gaunt.  
“It’s not wise to antagonise other patients in here.” He commented, pushing his glasses up his nose. “At least, not so quickly.”  
“Thanks for the advice.” I lifted my foot up onto the bench, resting my arm on my knee. “But I would really rather not just do nothing when a guy like that touches me.”  
“I guarantee he wouldn’t have hurt you. But I’m guessing from your scars you’ve probably developed a touch aversion.” He leaned on his elbow.  
“Did you come here to psychoanalyse me, _Doctor_?” I asked. “Or is there something else you wanted?”  
“You’re one of the few patients in this wing who aren’t drugged up to the point of losing any sense of speech. I thought it would be interesting to talk to you.”

***

_He sat on the hard bed in his cell, looking down at his hands. Ideas were forming in his mind, but it was hard to focus when his thoughts kept turning to her. He had intimate knowledge of what went on in the asylum, and he was certain she would not come out the same she went in. All he could do is limit the damage by getting her out as quickly as possible._  
 _Being stuck in a place like prison, it sent his mind back to his old boarding school. He needed to get out, needed space. He began to pace, trying to calm his mind down just a little, so that he could think._

***

“Tell me, Miss Grace. How did you end up working for Carmine Falcone?” Doctor Young asked, sitting outside the bars of my cell.  
“My father…” I hesitated. “He’d been working for Falcone for as long as I could remember. When he died, I went off the rails for a month, and ended up on the streets. Falcone found me and helped me get back on my feet.”  
“Were you close to your father?”  
I nodded, a couple of tears beginning to roll down my cheeks. “He raised me on his own, after my mother left. Losing him… I lost my whole world.”  
“Tell me about his death.”  
“No.” I stood, turning away from her.  
She sighed. “You’re going to have to talk about this eventually, why not now?”  
“I said no!” I ran the two steps to the cell doors, clinging onto the bars. My heart was racing as anger and fear surged through my veins. “I don’t want to do this.”  
“He was shot while standing beside you, yes?” She continued to push, even as I sank to the ground.  
“Fuck you.” My chest felt like it was closing in, crushing my lungs, and I struggled to take a breath. “What do you want me to say? Yes, he was shot right beside me. His blood sprayed across my face, and I just stood there. I’m glad he died instantly, because he didn’t see how much of a coward I was.”  
I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of my father’s blood on my skin again. Frozen in place, looking down at his body, I’d heard a piercing scream, not realising it was coming from me. Then the panic began. Only it wasn’t just me. Slade had murdered my father in a public place, as people were heading home from a night out. They all began running and screaming around me, as I fell to my knees in a pool of blood.  
Snapping out of the memory, I found that my cell had been opened, and Dr. Young was inside with a guard, injecting something into me.  
“What…?” I asked, struggling against the hands on me.  
“Don’t fight it.” She said, quietly. “You need to rest.”  
Everything felt so heavy, like my body was sinking into the floor, and I stopped resisting. 


	2. Hear the Night

### Chapter Two: Hear the Night

_Awareness is the enemy of sanity, for once you hear the screaming, it never stops. **Emilie Autumn**_

“Come on, Cash.” I pouted, watching the guard through the bars. “I’ve been nothing but well behaved, please?”  
“Fine, just this once. But you’re meant to be staying off them.” He handed me a cigarette, lighting it for me.  
I sat on my bed, next to the window. “I know. But I just woke up after eighteen hours of a second drug induced sleep in one week, and I want a smoke.” The warmth of the smoke in my chest felt so calming, but it didn’t take away my fear of that place.  
When I was finished, I crushed the butt against the wall then threw it out the window. I could hear voices coming down the corridor, one of which was unfortunately familiar.  
I watched as a couple of guards marched Crane into the cell across from me.  
“What’s going on?” I asked, walking over.  
“He set another patient’s bed on fire.” One of the guards told me, pushing him inside. “So he’s going to be staying in this cell for a while.”  
I leaned on the metal bars, looking over at him as the guards walked away. “Fire doesn’t really seem like your style, Crane.”  
“I was trying to prove a point.” He replied, his back to me. “Sadly, the patient was not very receptive to it.”  
“I can’t imagine there are many people who _are_ receptive to your version of therapy.” Walking to the small window, I looked out at the courtyard. “Most people take issue with being tortured and drugged.”  
There was a moment of silence, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. I turned to find him watching me. He pushed his glasses up his nose, then wrapped his hands around the bars.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you had a psychology degree.” He replied, a quiet sarcasm in his controlled voice. “I’ll be sure to defer to you next time.”  
“I grew up around people like you. I’ve spent basically all of my time learning what makes people tick.” I leaned back against the cold brick. “A degree isn’t everything, _Doctor_. Don’t pretend that you’re better than me.”  
“I don’t wish to offend you.” He stepped back, into the shadows. “But thinking that street experiences are even remotely close to the more than a decade I spent studying for my psychiatry certification is laughable.”  
I rolled my eyes, sitting down on my bed. “Whatever. I’m done talking to you.”  
Sliding my hand under the mattress, I pulled out my sketchbook and pencil. I’d managed to get Dr. Young to bring them to me, because drawing helps. I began to draw, softly singing to myself as the picture formed on the page.  
_Living on a dream_  
_Lonely, cold and dire_  
_Head up, feet down in the fire_  
_Giving till you're gone_  
_Dying for an angel everyday_  
By the time I was finished the outlines of my drawing, I was ready to sleep, even though I knew it would be hard with Crane right across the way. Still, I somehow managed to settle down and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

***

_He was pacing again, back and forth across his cell. It was going to take time to get her out, but he didn’t have a lot of that. Every day she was stuck in Arkham was another opportunity for them to hurt her, and he couldn’t stop thinking about what they might do to her._  
 _He rubbed his arm, sore where a guard had grabbed him. Blackgate was beginning to get to him, and it was really affecting his focus._  
 _He quietly sat down at his desk, waiting for his moment to escape. It wouldn’t be long now._

***

I opened my eyes with a sigh. I’d assumed that even though the bed was incredibly uncomfortable, a few nights of bad sleep would make me tired enough to be basically unconscious for a night. That was not the case, and every morning I just felt worse and more exhausted.  
I sat up, just as my cell door slid open. Cash was back, and he gestured for me to stand up.  
“You have a visitor.” He said, holding out the cuffs.  
“I just woke up.” I stood, holding out my hands for him.  
He shrugged. “We can’t all wait for you to wake up.”  
I followed him along the corridor to the visitor’s room, where the cuffs were taken off me and I was pushed inside. As the door swung shut behind me, I looked around. I was properly alone for the first time in the couple of weeks since I’d been moved to Arkham, and I knew it wouldn’t last, so I relished the few moments.  
Sitting down at the table, I rested my head in my hands and waited to find out who was coming to see me. After a minute or so, the door opened, and Butch walked in, taking a seat across the table from me.  
“I was beginning to think no one was coming to see me.” I tucked my feet underneath me.  
“I’m sorry that it’s taken so long, Bree. There’s a lot to be done, but we know how to get you out.” He looked around for cameras, then, satisfied the only one in the room was facing me, he began to whisper. “Next Monday, 2am.”  
I nodded. “It’s good to see you, Butch. There… aren’t exactly many people to talk to here. Is Oz alright?”  
“He’s fine. Worried about you. Have they hurt you?”  
“No.” I tapped my fingers on my arm. “But I keep wondering if I’m going to wake up and find myself strapped to a table for them to experiment on.”  
“Just try and stay under the radar until you’re out. They’ll have bigger crazies to experiment on.” He reached across the table, squeezing my hand, then stood up. “I’ll see you soon.”  
I watched him leave, ignoring the sound of the door opening behind me until I was hauled out of my chair by another guard.  
“Hey, no need to be rude.” I shook his hands off my arms. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”  
“Move.” He shoved me, his hand in the centre of my back.  
I rolled my eyes, allowing him to push me to the common area. Sitting down, away from the others, I looked up at the TV, which was playing the morning news.  
“An explosion at Blackgate Penitentiary twenty minutes ago has lead to the escape of over 35 inmates. Among these inmates was Oswald Cobblepot, recently incarcerated for murder and assault. Police are scrambling to arrest the escapees, but are asking for anyone who knows or sees something to please call the tip line.”

***

_“Do we have everything we need?” He asked, sitting on the couch. It was good to be back, to have actual space, with no one watching him._  
 _“Not yet, Boss.” Butch replied. “But we will by Sunday. We’ll get her out safely.”_  
 _He nodded, watching the strong man leave the room. Getting up, he walked out to the balcony. He looked out over the city, just able to see Arkham in the distance._  
 _“Hold on, love.” He whispered, leaning on the railing. “I’m going to get you out of there.”_

***

Two guards grabbed me from the common area, dragging me out to the interrogation room. I wanted to fight back, every cell in my body was crying for it, but I calmed myself down. Fighting would just make this worse for me, and I had no intention of making things worse.  
Thrown into a chair, I flinched as they cuffed my hands behind me. The door opened, and Commissioner Gordon walked in.  
“I must be very important to warrant a visit from the Commissioner.” I watched as he sat down across from me.  
“Where is he?” He asked, resting his hands on the table.  
I shrugged, leaning forward as far as I could. “I don’t know. It’s not like I get any phone calls in here.”  
“We know you were visited by Butch Gilzean just over an hour ago, right after the explosion. What did he say to you?”  
“You have the security footage, go watch that.” I lifted my feet up onto the table. “He didn’t say anything to me, just that he’s working to get me out of here.”  
He stood up. “If you don’t want to give me the information, I’ll leave it to the guards to get it from you.”  
“No!” I tried to stand, but I was suddenly grabbed and thrown against the wall.  
The guard held me there, his hand around my throat. I glared back at him, not willing to go further. He was a lot bigger than me, and there was no way I was getting out of this unscathed.  
“Where is he?” He asked, calmly.  
“I don’t know.” I whispered.  
He slammed me back into the bricks, lifting me off the floor by my throat. I began to choke, struggling to draw a breath.  
“Tell me where he is.”  
“I… I’m telling you the truth.” I wheezed. “Please…”  
He let go, and I fell to the floor. With my hands still cuffed behind me, I couldn’t catch myself, and my head hit the ground. Gasping for breath, I blinked and tried to clear my vision.  
“He kept me in the dark about most things.” I managed to sit up, right as the guard crouched in front of me. “I don’t know where he is, or where he would go.”  
“You’d better not be lying.”  
I shook my head. “I swear, I’m not.”  
He picked me up off the ground, walking me back to my cell. Finally released from my cuffs, I sat down on the bed and rubbed my head where I’d bumped it.  
“You’re very defiant.” I heard Crane comment.  
“No. I just don’t like being accused of lying and harassed when I don’t give an answer they want.” I looked over at him, watching as he stood up and walked over to the bars.  
“Why not just make something up?”  
I rolled my eyes. “You’re joking, right? Surely you, of all people, would know what happens if you get caught in a lie here.”  
“I tend not to get caught.” He shrugged. “But I guess you don’t have the _capacity_ for coming up with a good lie.”  
“Don’t call me stupid.” I walked over, clinging to the bars. “I’m not. But I do hope you get help for the superiority complex you’ve got going there.”  
He laughed, leaning against the wall, with his foot pressed against the brick. “It’s hardly a complex. But I’ll grant that you’re smarter than most of the people in this place.”  
“Gosh,” I began sarcastically. “Thank you for your charity. I really appreciate it.”  
My head hurt, but I was getting pretty good at ignoring the bumps and bruises that I was getting along the way. I flopped down onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. 


	3. Right Here in My Arms

### Chapter Three: Right Here in My Arms

_Men were always quick to believe in the madness of women. **Alison Goodman, Eona: The Last Dragoneye**_

My sleep was so disordered, thanks to late night guard checks, that it was easy for me to stay up until 2am. I had no idea what the time actually was, but I was trying to keep quiet, in case any guards came by.  
“You’re waiting for something.” Crane said. “Care to tell me what?”  
“Do you ever not talk?” I asked, sitting up.  
He shrugged, leaning back against the wall. “You’re the only person here who talks back to me. You intrigue me.”  
I got up, walking over to the bars. I was about to reply when the whirring of a helicopter hit my ears.  
There was a loud bang, and I spun around, crouching to protect myself. The huge stone bricks of the wall at the back of my cell rattled and then fell out. I could see a ladder dangling from the helicopter, and then I saw him, holding onto it, and reaching out his hand to me.  
“Looks like it’s time to go.” I threw a wave to Crane. “I’ll see you around.”  
As all the alarms began to go off, I ran towards the edge and leapt. Catching a rung, I pulled myself up to Oz. He softly touched my face, then pointed up at the helicopter.  
I nodded, then began to climb. When I made it to the top, Butch reached down and hauled me up. He handed me a headset, then waited a moment to help Oz in.  
“Here, love.” Oz wrapped a blanket around my shoulders.  
It was strange, hearing his voice again, but distorted through the headsets. My mind wouldn’t let me believe that I was actually free, and I was beginning to shake. I was so cold, and a strange sort of anxiety was washing over me. I looked up at him, just glad to see him finally.  
“We’ll be home soon.” He held me close, trying to keep me warm.  
I rested my head on his shoulder, looking out of the helicopter at the city. I wanted to sleep, but everything was so bright, and my whole body hurt.  
It felt like hours before we landed on top of a building, in the middle of the brightest part of Gotham. I hesitated when everyone got out, and Oz turned back to me.  
“Look at me.” He said, taking my hand.  
“Are… Are we safe here?” I asked, climbing out.  
He nodded, helping me over to the door down into the building. “Safer than we were before. I promise.”  
We walked down the stairs, to an apartment. It was so open, and I just sat on the couch, the blanket still half wrapped around me. I could hear snippets of conversation between Oz and Butch, but I wasn’t really listening.  
The anxiety was slowly being replaced with exhaustion. I lifted my feet up onto the couch, hugging my knees to my chest, as I waited for Oz to come over. I must have nodded off, because the next thing I knew, he was crouching in front of me.  
“Do you want to get some rest?” He asked, helping me up.  
I nodded, barely awake as we walked into the bedroom.  
“I had all of your things brought over. Your clothes are in the closet.”  
I climbed onto the bed, too tired to even get changed.

***

_He sat on the edge of the mattress, watching her sleep. There were bruises on her arms, courtesy of the guards, and he could see more on her stomach where her shirt had ridden up._  
 _He wanted, more than anything, to hold her, kiss her, have her again. But she needed to rest, to recover from what had been done to her in that place. What he wanted could wait until she was feeling better._

***

The sun was high in the sky when I woke, and I was alone in the bed. As I sat up, the door opened, and Oz walked in.  
“How are you feeling?” He asked, sitting down at my feet.  
I shrugged, standing up. “A little sore, and in serious need of a shower. I want to wash that place off me.”  
“I’ll be here when you come out.” He softly squeezed my hand.  
I blushed, walking into the bathroom. I was in the shower for longer than I needed, just sitting under the water until I couldn’t feel the gunk of the asylum on my body anymore.  
Finally, I felt clean again, and I got out, wrapping the towel around myself. I brushed my teeth, then my hair, until I was looking like myself. Walking out to the closet, I pulled on a pair of shorts and a singlet.  
I heard the door to the balcony and turned, finding Oz standing out in the fresh air. Stepping outside, I stood beside him and touched his arm. He turned and pulled me in for a hug.  
“Thank you for getting me out of there.” I whispered, resting my hands on his chest.  
He took hold of my chin, tilting my head up. “I will _always_ come for you, Bee. I promise.”  
Standing on my toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He pulled me even closer, kissing me even deeper, until I couldn’t think.  
I could have stayed there forever, but then we were interrupted by the flutter of wings. I pulled away, turning to find my raven friend sitting on the railing.  
“He’s been coming and going since this morning.” Oz said. “I think he wanted to know that you’re alright. Do you want coffee?”  
“Oh, yes please.” I squeezed his hand, then walked over to the raven.  
Reaching out and touching its feathers, I was surprised when it ran its beak along my finger. I held out my hand, palm up, and it dropped a small stone onto my skin.  
“Thank you.” I whispered, watching it fly away.  
I wandered back inside, placing the stone down on the bedside table. I found Oz in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil. He lifted me up onto the bench, his hands on my waist.  
“Is there something on your mind?” He asked, concerned at my silence.  
“The police are probably looking for us, right? Are we stuck in this apartment until the heat dies down?”  
He shook his head. “No, we can leave whenever. The police have their hands full trying to catch the far more dangerous inmates I let out.”  
I breathed a sigh of relief.  
“I want to keep you safe,” He placed his hand under my chin, tracing my lower lip with his thumb. “But I won’t keep you caged here.”  
I gave him a small smile, my fears disappearing under his touch. I was feeling a lot better, but there was just this niggling worry that hadn’t subsided yet, and I guessed it would probably be a while before I fully felt safe.  


***

  
_He handed her the mug, still concerned. She’d retreated back into her shell again, and he was certain it was because of the asylum. He was glad he’d never been there, but everything he’d heard about it was horrific. He could only imagine what had been done to her._  
 _She looked up from her coffee to smile at him. He loved her smile, the way her bright eyes always lit up when she saw him. She knew she was beautiful, but he would never stop telling her._  


***

  
I sat on the couch, tapping my foot on the floor. Oz was out, doing something with Butch and Slade, so I was waiting. And spending the time worrying he wouldn’t come back. I didn’t have a phone yet, so no way to contact him.  
Instead of just sitting there thinking about what might happen, I decided to be at least a little bit productive. I opened the doors out to the balcony to get some fresh air, then put on some music. Searching around the apartment, I found my yoga mat and rolled it out on the floor.  
I took a deep breath, standing at the end of the mat. I’d done my best to stay in over the month in Blackgate and the few weeks in Arkham, but I never had a lot of space, so I’d definitely lost some of my flexibility.  
Lying down on my back, I closed my eyes to draw my focus inward. I put my hands by my ears and lifted up into the upward bow. Breathing in, and out, I pressed my foot against the wall then pushed off, lifting my other leg up into a handstand. I stayed there for a few moments, just focusing on the weight on my hands.  
As I slowly tipped over into downward-facing dog, I heard the front door open. I didn’t move, but I did watch as Oz walked in. I walked my feet to my hands, then stood up, turning to face him. He was carrying a bag of takeaway and some wine and he placed them down on the kitchen bench.  
“You don’t have to stop on my account.” He grinned, pouring a glass of wine.  
“Well, I thought that since we haven’t seen each other for nearly two months, we could spend some time together, but if you’re not interested…” I walked past him, heading towards the bedroom.  
I didn’t get very far before he grabbed my arm, pressing me up against the wall.  
“I’m definitely interested, love.” He breathed, tracing the edge of my jaw with his finger.  
I caught his hand in mine, pulling it down to my waist. Then he was kissing me, his hands slipping under my shirt, lifting it up over my head. I wanted him, needed him, and I took hold of his shirt, yanking him against me.  
“I missed you.” He whispered, leaning down to kiss my neck.  
“What else did you miss?” I asked, blushing.  
“I missed being able to do this…” He slid his hands down to my thighs, hoisting me up.  
I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding onto his shoulders as he carried me to the bedroom. He gently placed me down on the bed, climbing over me.  
“What else?” I asked again.  
He leaned in close, gently nipping at my neck. I moaned as he hit every sensitive spot.  
Looking up at me, he grinned, his strong face softening. “I missed that.”  
And that was it, the two months of separation had made us desperate for each other. We ripped each others clothes off, tossing them aside.  
He thrust inside me, digging his fingers into my leg as he hooked it around me. I clung to him, kissing his lips, his neck, everywhere I could as he thrust harder. His hand slipped down between us as he began to play with my clit, making me moan even louder.  
There was no teasing this time, just needy sex. And, as we both tumbled over the edge into bliss, it was like the past two months never happened. It was just us, just our bodies, together on the bed.  
He collapsed beside me, his skin slick with sweat, and his chest heaving. Rolling onto my back, I softly touched his cheek.  
“I love you.” I whispered.  
“I love you too.” He replied, sleepily. 


	4. Red Like a Rose

### Chapter Four: Red Like a Rose

_An over-indulgence of anything, even something as pure as water, can intoxicate. **Criss Jami, Venus in Arms**_

I climbed out of bed, walking to the closet. Oz was still asleep, so I was trying to be quiet, but I still didn’t really know where things were. I shifted the hangers, soon finding the dress I was looking for.  
I changed into the cute, white mini-dress and slipped on some sandals. I heard Oz stir, and once I’d put my hair up, I walked back out to him.  
He’d gone straight back to sleep, so I climbed over him, sitting gently on his waist. His face was calm and gentle, and I didn’t want to wake him, but I knew he would worry if I just disappeared on him.  
“Oz, honey.” I whispered, softly touching his chest. “Wake up.”  
He stirred again, opening his eyes to look at me. It took a few moments for him to wake up, but then he took hold of my waist and rolled us over, trapping me under him.  
“Morning.” He kissed me. “What are you all dressed up for this early in the morning?”  
“I need to get out for a little while, get some air. So, I thought I would find a bakery nearby, walk down and get breakfast to bring back.” I replied, wrapping my arms around him.  
“Do you want me to come with you?”  
I shook my head. “I just didn’t want you to worry if you woke up and I was gone. You can go back to sleep, if you want.”  
“I might as well stay up now.” He got up, helping me off the bed. “I’ll see you when you get back.”  
I kissed him goodbye, picked up my bag and new phone, then headed to the elevator and out onto the street. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining and barely any clouds. Checking my phone, I found that the nearest bakery was just around the corner, only about a ten minutes away.  
As I began to walk, I got a strange feeling, like I was being followed. I slowly looked behind me, but there was nobody there. Shaking my head, I turned back, only to bump right into someone. Stepping back in surprise, I looked up, only to recognise the person in front of me. He was far more well-dressed than last time I saw him, but I guess anything looks better dressed than an asylum uniform.  
“Jonathan Crane.” I tilted my head. “How did you manage to escape?”  
“It was easy enough. I’ve done it many times.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Your escape just provided a convenient distraction. Thank you for that.”  
“We didn’t do it for you, but you’re welcome.” I walked around him, rolling my eyes when I realised he was walking beside me. “I would think you’d be on the top of their list of people to recapture. Isn’t it dangerous to be out and about like this?”  
“They’ve stopped trying to just capture me anymore. They wait until I slip up or until I basically invite them to.”  
I didn’t reply until we got to the bakery. Stopping next to the door, I turned to face him.  
“And you’re following me because…?” I asked, crossing my arms over his chest.  
He shrugged. “I was walking by, and I saw you. I thought it would be polite to see if you were doing alright.”  
“I’d rather you didn’t. I’m trying to forget that I was ever there.”  
“Fine. I’ll leave you be.” He turned on his heel, tucking his hands in his jacket as he walked away.  
I sighed, feeling a little guilty about blowing him off, but I really wanted to put everything behind me and move on. Walking into the bakery, I picked up some croissants, muffins and coffee, then headed back, trying not to think about what happened.  
By the time I got to the apartment, my anxiety was starting to rise. I was feeling shaky and scared. If Crane knew where I was, how long would it be before the police knew?  
Oz came out of the bedroom, and saw the confused, anxious look on my face.  
“What happened?” He asked, taking everything from me.  
I followed him to the kitchen, a little speechless still. Sliding onto one of the bar stools, I rested my chin in my hand.  
“I… Jonathan Crane was down on the street.” I took a deep breath. “If he knows where we are, will the police find us too?”  
“Hey, shh.” He walked over to me, gently taking hold of my face. “We are safe here, I promise. Crane… He’s smart, smart enough to know that turning us in would put him in the spotlight too.”  
I nodded, reaching across the bench for my coffee. “I’m sorry. I’m just really on edge right now.”  
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll run a bubble bath for you. It’s going to be okay, the police will give up searching for us pretty quickly. And I own this building, the security is tight, I promise.”  
I watched him leave, turning to my muffin to eat.

***

_“Will she be okay?” Butch asked him._  
 _“She’ll be fine.” He replied, readjusting his grip on his phone. “She’s just used to being in a tiny cell and she needs to readjust.”_  
 _“Is there anything I can do?”_  
 _He leaned on the bench, tapping his fingers on it. “Find out what you can about Jonathan Crane. I don’t like the fact that he approached her in the street, and I need to know if he’s going to be an issue.”_  
 _“I’ll see what I can find.” Butch replied, hanging up._

***

I walked out of the bathroom, sitting down on the bed. I was still feeling a little shaky, but a lot calmer than I was before.  
“Feeling better?” Oz asked, leaning on the door frame.  
“A little. I just… can’t go back there.” I played with the edge of my dress. “I know that it will be worse next time.” I stood up, walking over to him and softly touching his chest. “I’m alright, just rattled.”  
He kissed me, gently. “Get changed and we’ll go to the club. There’s someone you should see.”  
“Oh, okay! I’ll be ready soon then.” I headed to the bathroom to do my makeup, and then got changed. I returned a short while later looking much more club ready in my red silk shift dress and heels.  
Oz was sitting on the edge of the bed, doing up his tie. I took it out of his hands and finished it for him, sitting in his lap.  
“You look so beautiful.” He whispered, catching my gaze with his.  
“And you,” I tightened the tie, then wrapped my arms around his neck. “Look amazing in a suit. Shall we go?”  
He nodded, lifting me off his lap. I followed him down to the car, wondering who he wanted me to see. I was hoping it was Molly, but last I’d heard, she’d left the city with her boyfriend.  
It was a longer drive than I expected, and it left me with too much time to think. I lost myself in my thoughts and worries, until I felt Oz touch my knee.  
“Stay out of your head for a little while, Bee.” He said, quietly. “We’re here.”  
“Sorry. There’s just a lot running through my mind right now.” I looked over at him.  
He leaned in close, kissing me. “It’s alright. I just don’t want you to spend the rest of your life worrying and looking over your shoulder.”  
I nodded, and we climbed out of the car. He took my hand, gently squeezing it, then lead me inside. It was just before midday, so it was relatively empty still. Looking around, I smiled widely when I saw the blonde curls of my best friend at the bar.  
“Molly?” I called.  
She turned on the chair, then came running over to hug me. I didn’t want to let go, but Oz softly touched my back.  
“I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” He kissed my cheek, then headed up to his office.  
“Come.” Molly dragged me over to the bar, waving the bartender over. “Two espresso martinis.” Then she turned to me. “When I heard you were in Arkham, I was so worried about you. So I came back as soon as I heard you got out. How are you?”  
“I’m doing alright. I got pushed around a bit, so I’m a little bruised, but I’ll be okay.” I crossed my ankles, leaning on the bar.  
“What happened in there?”  
I sighed. “The guards, they treated the patients so horribly. No wonder most patients end up in there until they die. They’re constantly being abused.”  
“Geez, that’s awful.” She sipped her drink. “I’m glad you’re alright.”  
“Enough about me, I’m fine. Tell me about how things are going with you and Danny!”  
“Well…” She held out her left hand, showing off a beautiful white gold ring with a square ruby.  
“You’re engaged???” I exclaimed, hugging her even tighter than before. “I’m so excited for you!”  
“Just yesterday. We haven’t started discussing anything yet, but I’ll tell you everything as soon as we’ve worked it out.”  
We spent the next couple of hours just talking, and catching up. But eventually she had to head back to her hotel, so I hugged her goodbye and watched her leave. I sat there for a moment, finally feeling better.  
Picking up another drink, I headed upstairs to the office. I knocked gently on the door, trying not to be too disruptive.  
“Come in.”  
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Oz was on a call, but it sounded like he was wrapping up.  
“I’ll call back tomorrow. But I expect the delivery in my warehouse on Monday.” He dropped the phone on the desk, waving me over.  
“Thank you.” I sat on his desk in front of him, placing my drink down then leaning on my hands on the edge. “I needed that.”  
“I want to be able to fix everything for you, but I know that I’m not always the best person to help.” He ran his hands up the back of my legs.  
“Maybe not,” I slid into his lap. “But you always know just what I need to feel better.”  
He kissed me, one hand in my hair and the other slowly sliding my dress up my thighs. I loosened his tie, ready to pull it off, but then there was a knock on the door and we pulled apart.  
I climbed off his lap, going over to the door to open it. Butch was standing there, but he hesitated when he saw me.  
“Sorry, am I interrupting?” He asked.  
“No, I was just heading out.” I turned to Oz. “If you’re not going to be home until later, can you bring dinner?”  
He nodded, and I left the two of them to their work. 


	5. Voices

### Chapter Five: Voices

_In a mad world, only the mad are sane. **Akira Kurosawa**_

“I’ll be out all evening, but I ordered you some food for dinner. It’ll be here soon.” Oz said, walking past me.  
“Aw, thank you!” I watched him, turning to lean over the back of the couch. “I was going to cook, but I’m just not feeling it today.”  
He bent over to kiss me, not letting go until I could barely breathe. “I’m sorry that I have to go out.”  
“Don’t be. You’re important, and I can entertain myself for a night.” I brushed some fluff off his jacket. “Wake me up when you get home.”  
He nodded, pressing another kiss to my forehead, then headed towards the door.  
“I love you!” I called after him.  
“I love you too.” He turned, blowing me another kiss.  
Sitting back on the couch properly, I turned on the TV. There wasn’t really much on, but I was tired, and didn’t really want to think, so I figured anything is better than nothing.  
I was just getting sucked into watching Taken for the hundredth time, when I heard a knock on the door. I jumped up, hungry, and headed over, opening it. Thankfully, it was my food and a bottle of wine, and it smelled so good.  
I settled back down on the couch to eat, a glass of wine on the table. Oz had sent my favourite, satay noodles, and I ate quickly. As I sat back with my second glass of wine, I saw something strange out of the corner of my eye.  
Standing up, I looked around to find a red patch on the carpet. I hesitated, anxiety slowly sneaking up on me. I took a step towards it, but suddenly the floor seemed to fall away from me, and I stumbled, landing hard on what felt like concrete. It was so dark, and I could barely see.  
I panicked, my mind clouding as I desperately tried to work out where I was and what was happening to me. Crawling forward, I yelped when my hand touched something wet. Out of nowhere, it was like the lights switched back on and I saw what I had touched.  
“No… No.” I whispered to myself over and over as I watched the blood drip from my fingers.   
I scrambled to my feet, wiping my hands on my shorts.   
_Brianna…_ I heard a familiar voice say. It was coming from behind me, but I really didn’t want to turn around for fear of what I would see.  
 _Brianna, please._ The ghostly voice tried again, and I turned, finding my dad standing there.  
“D…Dad?” I stammered, not trusting my eyes.  
“Come on, Bee. We’re going to be late!” He gestured for me to follow him.  
I didn’t want to follow him, because I knew exactly what day this was. I’d been living it over and over, in my dreams, in my thoughts, ever since. But I couldn’t stop myself. It was like something was forcing me forward, towards that moment.  
I took hesitant steps, trying to prolong my time beside him, even as the tears began to fall and the dread began to build in the pit of my stomach. I was terrified to watch this again, but whatever was happening was clearly going to make me.  
“We’re nearly there.” Dad said.  
“Dad, don’t.” I whispered, but he didn’t hear me.  
He kept walking, even as I hesitated again, until he passed the pizza shop. When I saw the sign, I ran forward, thinking that maybe I could stop it. But as I got close, I realised I was too late. The all-too familiar crack of the bullet flying past, the spray of my father’s blood on my face, and I watched him hit the ground.  
I began to scream, my hands shaking as I fell to my knees. Someone grabbed me, pulling me back, away from him.   
“Get off me!” I lashed out at them, scrambling back over to Dad.  
As I cried even harder, his eyes suddenly snapped open. Screaming again, I fell back, watching in terror as he sat up.  
“You betrayed me…” He wheezed, blood bubbling from his mouth.  
“No… No, I didn’t!” I managed to get up, running past the crowd of people.  
But then he was in front of me, blood on his face.  
“You knew… the whole time… You still… dated him.”  
“No, I swear.” I turned to run the other way, but there he was again.  
I kept turning and turning, but no matter which way I faced, he was always there, and he was getting closer and closer.  
“Dad, please. You know I would never.” I screamed at him.  
He shoved me to the ground. I sat up, shuffling back until I hit the wall. He was right up in my face, and I could almost see through the hole in his head.  
I closed my eyes, blocking them with my hands. I just wanted everything to go away, to pretend like I’d never seen Dad die.  
Someone grabbed my arms, but I fought them off.  
“Don’t touch me!” I shouted.  
“Bee, it’s me. You’re safe.” I heard Oz say, in his familiar British accent.  
I opened my eyes, finding myself back in the apartment. I couldn’t breathe, just gasping for air as I tried to work out what was going on.  
“Deep breaths.” He whispered, brushing my hair out of my eyes.  
“It was so real.” I looked around, still shaking. I was exhausted, barely staying awake.  
He stood, lifting me up off the floor. I was asleep before he even put me into the bed.

***

_“I need to know where he is!” He snapped at his men._  
 _“We’re trying, Boss.” One of them replied. “But he’s disappeared and no one’s talking.”_  
 _He grabbed the man who spoke by his collar, pulling him close. “Then make them talk. Now get out.”_

***

I opened my eyes, uncurling myself from the foetal position I’d apparently slept in. Everything seemed to hurt, but the worst pain was in my head. Between the headache and the fear that was still rattling around in my mind, I was surprised I’d even managed to get any sleep.  
The memories of what I’d seen were still vivid in my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t block them out. I got up, changing into some clean clothes, and shakily walked out to the lounge. Oz was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands.  
“Oz?” I whispered, not wanting to scare him.  
He looked around, then ran over when he saw me. Sweeping me into a hug, he held me tight.   
“You’re finally awake.” He didn’t let me go, just kept his arms wrapped around me.  
“ _Finally?_ ” I pulled away a little, looking up at him. “How long was I out?”  
“Nearly 36 hours.”  
We walked over to the couch, and I sat down.  
“What do you remember?” He asked.  
I didn’t answer straight away, trying to get my thoughts in order. When I was still quiet, he touched my leg gently.  
“Sorry. I’m still trying to make sense of it.” I placed my hand over his. “I was here, eating the dinner you bought me.”  
I told him everything, even the part where my dad accused me of betraying him. As I spoke, I saw him getting angrier and angrier, that darkness spreading across his face, but he kept it under control.  
“Crane did this.” I traced his fingers.  
He nodded. “I know. I’m trying to find him.”  
I lay down, my head in his lap.  
“Right now, I’m more worried about you.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “Are you feeling better?”  
I shook my head. “Not really.”  
“Whatever he drugged you with was pretty strong. I think it’ll take a while before you fully get over it.”  
“I feel tired and sore. But that’s not what’s bothering me.” I sat up again, feeling too restless to stay in one position. “Ever since I found out what Slade did, I have been feeling like I betrayed Dad. Even though I was sure he would understand, I still felt it. When he said it, in that hallucination, whatever it was, it felt like my worst fear was true. Nothing has ever hurt like that.”   
“What can I do?”  
“I don’t even know what I can do, right now. Outside of finding him and finding out why he did this, I don’t know.” I shrugged, yawning. “I think I should get some more sleep.”  
He nodded, helping me up. “Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?”  
“Yes, please.”

***

_He held her as she slept, worried that she would have another nightmare. But her face was soft, and she seemed calm, at least for the moment._  
 _A knock on the door distracted him, and he carefully got up, trying not to wake her. Walking out to the corridor, he opened the front door and found Slade there._  
 _“I’ve got something you should see.” Slade said. “Can I come in?”_  
 _He nodded, stepping back. They stood in the kitchen, and Slade dropped a file on the bench._  
 _“Crane was seen entering a run-down house on the edge of the city. I checked it out, and it looks like it used to belong to his grandmother, but when she died, it was sold off. Crane purchased it just a few days ago.”_  
 _“Good work. I’ll get back to you when I’ve worked out how to deal with this._

***

“Fuck you!” I shouted, slamming my fist into the punching bag. “I’m not afraid of you.”  
Working out my anger, I punched harder and harder. I was tired and frustrated, but if I was going to get back to form, I needed to push myself.   
“Are you alright?” I heard from behind me.  
I turned to find Butch standing in the doorway. “Pissed off. I keep ending up in these situations where I get hurt, and I don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. I thought that if I was stronger, faster, I could protect myself. But no matter how much I train, no matter how strong I get, I can’t stop it. I just want to know what Crane wants, and why he drugged me.”  
“I don’t have answers for you. But I know where you can get some.” He handed me a piece of paper with an address on it. “This is the address of a bar where you can find Doctor Young most nights of the week.”  
I gave him a wide-eyed look, shocked. “If I go to her, she’ll have me locked up again.”  
“Not likely. Oz had her paid off to look the other way when we rescued you.” He leaned against the wall. “She’s smart enough to realise that turning you in would get her in a world of trouble.”  
“Alright. I’ll go see her tomorrow.” I shoved the piece of paper into my pocket, then leaned over to grab my drink bottle. “Thank you.”  
Hugging him goodbye, I picked up my bag and headed back home. 


	6. The Dark Ones

### Chapter Six: The Dark Ones

_I lie on the floor, washed by nothing and hanging on. I cry at night. I am afraid of hearing voices, or a voice. I have come to the edge, of the land. I could get pushed over. **Margaret Atwood, Cat's Eye**_

I pulled on my jacket, zipping it up. As I sat down on the bed to put on my shoes, Oz came out of the shower.  
“Going somewhere?” He asked, pulling on some pants.  
“I want to get a jog in before it gets dark out.” I tied my laces, then stood up. “Since you’re out again tonight, I figured I’d go for a longer one, then bring food home to cook dinner.”  
He walked over, pulling me in for a hug. “Stay safe. I don’t know what Crane is planning, and I don’t want you to get hurt again.”  
“I’ll be okay.” Standing on my toes, I kissed him. “Will you be back for dinner?”  
“No, I probably won’t be back until 11. But I’ll eat the leftovers tomorrow.” He played with a piece of my hair. “Be careful out there. I’ll see you when I get back.”  
I kissed him one more time, then grabbed my small backpack and headed out. Jogging down the block and around the corner, I made sure I was somewhere he couldn’t see me, then hailed a taxi.  
Giving the driver the address to the bar, I sat back and worried a little. I hate lying to Oz, but I knew he would try to talk me out of this. I needed answers, whatever the doctor could tell me, so I could be better prepared.  
I paid the driver, then headed inside the bar. Just as Butch had said, she was sitting at the bar, drinking. I hesitated for a moment, then walk over and sat down beside me.  
She looked over, then her eyes suddenly went wide.  
“Relax.” I said, waving over the bartender. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just want information.” Turning to the man behind the bar, I ordered a bourbon and coke.  
“I don’t know what I can tell you.” She replied, returning to her drink.  
“Jonathan Crane. I want to know why he would drug me.”  
She chuckled, tracing the rim of her glass with her finger. “He spoke about you. The day before he broke out. Said you were one of the few people who ever talked back and challenged him.”  
I waited for her to continue, sipping my drink.   
“He’s a manipulator, using his natural charm and psychiatric intellect to influence others. His obsessive personality keeps him on target, which means he will continue following you until he’s stopped or he’s gotten what he wants from you. He… gets a thrill from seeing people in complete terror.”  
“But that doesn’t make sense. I was in my apartment alone when he drugged me.”  
“He wants you to be afraid before he gets to you.” Her long hair was coming out of its bun, and she reached up, fixing it. “So that he can use that to his advantage.”  
I looked down at my glass, suddenly feeling really hopeless.  
“But…” She continued. “He does have weaknesses. His grandmother was abusive, and his mother abandoned him. Exploiting his own fears could either get you killed or get you out of his path.”  
“And I’m guessing you don’t know what he’s afraid of.”  
She shook her head. “No. I’ve never been able to get him to open up.”  
“Thank you for your help.” I stood up.   
Before I could walk away, she grabbed my arm.  
“Be careful. He is more dangerous than he looks.” She said, quietly. “He will kill to get to you.”  
I nodded, pulling her hand off me. Walking outside, I hailed another taxi and headed to the grocery store around the corner of the apartment building. After picking up what I needed for a quick dinner, I went home.

***

_“She went to see Doctor Young.” Slade said, sitting down across from him._  
 _He sighed, leaning back against the chair as he sipped his drink. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”_  
 _“She’s a little reckless, Oz, but she isn’t stupid. If you don’t tell her things, she will find out her own way.” There was a moment of silence as Slade considered his words. “The best way to protect her is to tell her the truth.”_  
 _“I know. But if I tell her that we know where he is, she’ll run off and try to deal with it herself.”_  
 _"Then let her, and keep an eye on her.”_

**

I was sitting on the couch, listening to music, when Oz got home. I didn’t look over, but I could tell by his heavy footsteps that he was angry.  
When he sat down beside me, I realised that he probably knew what I’d done.  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, quietly.  
“Because I didn’t want you to stop me.” I bit my lip, not sure what to say. “I love how protective you are, and it makes me feel safe, but I need to be able to deal with this myself.”  
“Why is it so important that you do this yourself?”  
“I… I don’t know.” I stood up, turning away from him to look out the window. “I don’t know if it’s because he’ll kill you and Butch and Molly to get to me, or if I’m trying to prove to myself that I’m not just a victim.”  
“You could have told me that.”  
“I know!” I burst into tears. “I know I should have told you, and I know that I should leave this alone and let you deal with it. But just this once, I want you to trust me enough to know that I can handle this.”  
I felt him touch my back, but I didn’t turn to face him.  
“I do trust you. I just don’t want to lose you.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder.  
“I know. You won’t.” I finally turned, wiping my eyes. “Just please, let me handle this. I promise I will tell you everything, but I need this.”  
He nodded. “Alright. But will you check in often? That way I’ll know if something has gone wrong.”  
“Always.” I hugged him. “I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
I gently pulled away, walking to the kitchen to pour myself some wine. “Now, since I’m sure you’ve also been investigating, are you willing to tell me where he is?”  
“As long as you promise not to rush into anything.” He took my glass from me and sat down on one of the stools.  
“Hey!” I laughed, reaching into the cupboard for another glass. “I promise. I know how dangerous he can be, and I want to be prepared.”  
“He was seen at a house he owns. I’ll write the address down for you.” He took my phone, typing it into my notes.  
“Thank you.” I leaned forward on the bench, looking up at him.  
He touched my face, his fingers drifting along my cheek. I blushed under his gaze, gently pulling away from him.  
“I need to go have a shower before bed.” I walked past, stopping to kiss him.  
“Can I join you?”  
I shook my head, with a laugh. “I need to actually shower.”  
He pouted, until I kissed him again.  
“Fine.” He squeezed my hand. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom after.”  
Heading to the bathroom, I stripped off and stepped into the shower. The cool water washed over me, and I stood there for a minute, breathing deep to relax myself. Once I was clean, I got out, pulling my towel around myself.  
I was drying my hair when I heard Oz walk into the bedroom. He stood in the doorway, watching me. When he saw I was finished, he gently took hold of my arm, drawing me over to the bed.  
“I thought we were going to bed.” I whispered, sitting down on the mattress.  
“We are.” He sat down beside me. “But I wanted to do this first.”  
He kissed me, his warm hands on my cool shoulders. I took hold of his face, deepening the kiss. As his touch drifted to the top of my towel, I pushed him down onto the bed, climbing onto his waist.  
“Do you remember when we first met?” I asked, resting my hands on the bed just above his shoulders.  
He nodded. “Of course. I saw you up on that stage, and knew I had to talk to you. You told me to fuck off.”  
“I’m still sorry for that.” I laughed, leaning down to kiss him again. “You did still give me your number though, so it clearly worked.”  
“What brought this up?” He asked, pushing my hair out of my face.  
I shrugged. “Nothing in particular. I was just thinking about the first time you looked at me like you are now.”  
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me down to him. Every kiss with him was calming, but electric at the same time. It was a safe moment, but it felt dangerous.  
I had to pull away, as a yawn escaped me.  
“We don’t have to do anything tonight.” He said, quietly. “I know you’ve had a long day.”  
I nodded, getting up. “I didn’t realise I was so tired.”  
Changing into a long shirt and my underwear, I climbed into bed and lay down on my side. He lay down behind me, holding me close.  
“I’m scared, Oz.” I whispered, pulling his arm around me. “I don’t really know what Crane wants.”  
“I know, love.” He kissed my cheek. “But you will face this head on, like you have with everything else we’ve been through. And I will be here, with whatever support you need, to help you get through this.”  
I closed my eyes, my fears pacified for a while as I tried to fall asleep. He softly played with my hair, calming me even further.

***

_He watched her sleeping, like he did nearly every night. The way she always seemed to roll onto her front once she was asleep, or the way she would curl up against him if she was having a nightmare._  
 _He traced his fingers along her spine, listening to her breathing. He didn’t think he could ever make her understand just how much he loved her, but he would never stop trying._


	7. The Devil Embraced

### Chapter Seven: The Devil Embraced

_Oftentimes winning can become an addiction, whether good or bad, to the point where you would rather lose it all before you lose at all. **Criss Jami, Killosophy**_

“Are you sure about this?” Oz asked, watching me as I changed my clothes.  
“Not 100%, no.” I pulled a singlet on. “But I’m not going to just march into that house until I know what I’m dealing with.”  
Walking to him, I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. He clearly wanted to say something, but was holding it back.  
“Say it.” I tapped him on the nose. “Whatever it is that you’re trying not to say.”  
He sighed, pulling me into his lap. “Getting that close is dangerous, and I’d rather you take someone with you.”  
“I’ve done a stakeout before, and adding an extra person will make it even more likely that I get spotted.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “And I need you to promise me something.”  
“Anything.”   
“I need you to promise that if something goes wrong, and I don’t come back in the morning, you won’t come in all guns blazing.” I kissed him gently. “It could get one, or both of us, killed.”  
“I…” He hesitated for a moment. “Alright, I promise.”  
I took hold of his face, looking into his eyes. “I know that it will be hard for you. But please, just trust that I know what I’m doing.”  
“I do, and I’ll stay back and let you handle it. Just please be careful.”  
I nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”  
He pressed a kiss to my hand, then let me go. I put my camera in my backpack, and headed down to the street, hailing a taxi. I didn’t have a complete plan, but with a telephoto lens I was hoping I would be able to see into the house.  
I got out of the taxi well up the road from the house, and crept into the woods. I’d checked the area online earlier, and found a spot on a small hill where I thought I might be able to see the area clearly.   
I hated sitting around and doing nothing, it really wasn’t my style. So lying on some grass with my camera, hoping to see something, was not on my list of things I enjoy. Still, something about the boring nature of it kept me calm.  
Zooming in on the house, I found that the windows were blocked with something. There was no way that I would be able to see anything in there. But there were no cameras, no sign of any sort of security. No sign of visible security, anyway. I couldn’t be sure there weren’t any alarms on the windows or the doors.   
As the sun slipped below the horizon, I switched my camera to night mode and crept closer. I looked around, scanning the area for anything I could use. About 200 metres behind the house was another building. It looked like a church, and I took a photo, making a mental note to check it out later.  
Before I could look any further, I saw the front light switch on. The door opened and a familiar man stepped out. But it wasn’t Crane.  
“Dammit, Ed.” I whispered. “Of course you’re working with him.”  
I watched him as he walked over to a car and headed out. Managing to get a photo of the number plate, I waited until he was gone, then carefully made my way over to the second building.  
It was a church, but it looked pretty old and dilapidated. Circling it, I found that the side door was the only part that wasn’t boarded up. So, maybe Crane was still using this place.  
I pushed the door open, turning on my phone light so I could see. The inside was dusty and cobwebbed, and smelled like damp. I followed footprints in the dust to a large room at the back, finding what seemed like hundreds of drawings pinned to the walls. They were all of the same thing, crows or ravens, I couldn’t be sure which. He’d been drawing them for years, and it was easy to follow from the earliest to the most recent.  
As I turned, I caught sight of the back of the door. There were scratches all over it, like someone had been trying to escape. Before I could leave, a loud caw distracted me.  
Looking up, I found a crow sitting there. Suddenly, there were so many of them, flying towards me and then tilting up at the last second. I stepped back, to make sure they didn’t hit me, as I started to piece together what had happened here.  
Doctor Young had told me that Crane’s grandmother was abusive. I guessed that she’d locked him in here, and he tried to escape, but when he couldn’t he just started drawing to pass the time. I almost would have felt bad for him if he hadn’t just put a drug in my food and made me hallucinate.  
I grabbed one of the drawings off the wall, pulling a pen out of my bag. Hesitating, I thought about what message would have the most effect.  
 _You really should lock your doors. You never know what someone might find out in here. In the wrong hands, this sort of information could be very dangerous for you. I’ll see you soon. Love Brianna._  
I stuck the drawing with my message onto the door, snapped a few photos of the room, then took off. Creeping back up to the hill, I sat amongst the trees and waited until dawn, just in case I saw something. But it was so quiet. The only thing that happened all night was Ed coming back, alone. I had no idea if Crane was even there, and by the time the sun was rising, I was too tired to care anymore.  
I crept through the trees, trying to stay unnoticed. Once I hit the road, I pulled out my phone and called Oz.  
“Is everything okay?” He asked, sounding a little worried.  
“I’m fine. Just making my way back now.”  
“I’m right around the corner, I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”  
Hanging up, I stood there and waited. I was a little concerned that Crane or Ed would come past and see me, but thankfully Oz arrived quickly. Climbing into the passenger seat, I leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek.  
“What are you doing up this early?” I squeezed his hand.  
“Worrying.” He replied, as he drove. “I wanted to be nearby so I could get you if something went wrong.”  
I shoved my camera in my bag, not ready to look at what I’d taken yet.  
“You need to get some sleep. I’ll print out your photos for you when we get home.”

***

_He watched the photos as they printed, unsure what some of them meant. Slade was clearly right, she could find a lot on her own. He felt guilty for not trusting her, and knew he would have to do better._  
 _There was still the matter of what she was planning. And he knew she was planning. She’d had a thoughtful look on her face the entire drive home._

***

By the time I got up, it was nearly midday. I’d only had a few hours sleep, but it was hard to stay in bed when I had so much going on in my mind.  
It was a colder day, so I got changed, pulling on a jacket over my clothes and zipping it up halfway. I walked out to the lounge, noticing the Oz was out on the balcony with my raven friend on the railing near him.  
Sliding open the door, I stepped outside.  
"How did you sleep?” Oz asked, turning to face me.  
I shrugged, hugging him. “Alright, I guess. I just have a lot of thinking to do, so I just kept waking up.”  
“Your friend has been waiting for you.” He kissed me. “There were actually more of them this morning. I was worried they would wake you, they were so loud.”  
“Oh? I’ve never seen more than one of them before.” I turned to the raven, holding out my hand.  
It hopped up onto my finger, looking around.  
Oz gently squeezed my shoulder. “Do you want coffee?”  
“More than you can imagine.” I laughed, watching as he headed inside, then looked back at the raven. “So, you have some friends huh?”  
It replied with a caw, almost like it understood me. Then it took off. I waited a moment, before turning to leave. But then I heard wings again, and looked back, finding five more birds there.  
“Well, hello.” I looked over them all. “I think I might have some use for you all soon.”  
I headed inside for my coffee, sitting down on the couch with Oz.  
“Did you have birds of your own when you were a kid?” He asked, handing me a mug.  
“No.” I shook my head. “There wasn’t enough money. But I use to leave food in the backyard for the birds, and I volunteered at a nearby aviary rescue for a while.”  
He leaned his arm on the top of the couch, softly smiling at me. “You are still a surprise to me.”  
“I don’t know about that.” I blushed, quickly drinking my coffee. “I try to be honest, and open…  
He softly touched my knee, putting the file of photos on the table. “Tell me what you found out on your stakeout.”  
“I’m honestly not completely sure.” I pulled all of them out, laying them side by side. I described what I had seen, and as I spoke, a plan began to form in my head. Hiding from Crane was never going to end this, I would have to confront him face to face.  
“You think his grandmother locked him in here?”  
I nodded. “I think so, yes. And I think this is something I can use.”  
He sat back, quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you to do this on your own.”  
“It’s alright. You’re letting me handle this now, and that’s important to me.” I crawled into his lap, kissing him deeply.  
He tangled his fingers in my hair, holding me tight against him, but he stopped kissing me.  
“You’re going to confront him, aren’t you?” He asked.  
“Yes.” I rested my hand on his chest. “I would do this differently, if I could, but…”  
He pressed his finger to my lips. “Shh… Tell me what you need from me.”  
“I… I need a couple of things, but they can wait a couple of hours.” I slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “Right now, I don’t want to think about any of this.”  
“I think I can help with that.” He laughed, pulling me in for another kiss. 


	8. I’ll Come to Thee

### Chapter Eight: I’ll Come to Thee

_That's why crazy people are so dangerous. You think they're nice until they're chaining you up in the garage. **Michael Buckley, The Fairy-Tale Detectives**_

I rolled over, resting my head on Oz’s chest. I didn’t want to wake him, because I didn’t know how long it would be before I could do this again.   
“The longer you wait, the more time you give him to plan something.” He whispered, wrapping his arm around me.  
I looked up at him. “I know, but I just want a few more minutes here.”  
“I will be here whenever you get back. But you need to get moving.” He kissed me gently.  
I nodded, kissing him one more time, then climbed out of bed. I knew that once I started this, there would be no stopping until one of us won. There was no guarantee it would be me, but I had to try.  
“If you aren’t back in a week, I’ll come find you.”  
“No.” I shook my head as I pulled on my clothes. “This has to play all the way out. I know you’re going to spend all this time worrying, but you have to let it happen, please.”  
He sighed, getting out of bed. “I love you. Promise me you’ll come back.”  
“I will always come back.” I turned to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “And I love you, more than anything.”  
I didn’t want to let him go yet, but he gently pulled my arms off him and said goodbye.   
“You are strong and smart. I know you can beat him.” He whispered, handing me my backpack.  
“I’ll see you soon.”

***

_He watched her leave, unsure when he would see her again, and what she would be like when she came back. His phone began to ring, and he quickly picked it up when he saw it was Slade._  
 _“Is everything ready?” He asked._  
 _“I have eyes on the house, but there really isn’t much we can do.” Slade replied. “Breaking in to plant cameras would be a huge risk, and could get Bree killed.”_  
 _“I don’t want to stop her from doing this, I just want to make sure I have a way to get her out quickly if something happens.”_

***

As I walked down the drive to the dilapidated house, I hesitated, doubting myself. This was possibly the worst idea I’d every had, but I saw no other option that didn’t require me waiting until Crane came and did whatever he wanted. And I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of drawing him out where he might hurt other people. I’d likely already made him angry with my note, so I definitely needed to get moving.  
I stepped behind the trees, not wanting Ed there where I started this. It took a little while, but eventually I saw him leave. Finally, I was ready to get started. I headed to the house.  
Stopping in front of the door, I banged on the wood. I took a deep breath to prepare myself, and waited.  
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Crane. I punched him in the face, stunning him. Before he could recover, I grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him back against the wall, knocking him out.  
Taking hold of his collar, I dragged him down the hallway into the nearest room, which looked like an office. It took a lot of effort, but I managed to get him up into the chair and tied down. The irony of basically kidnapping someone else in order to make myself safer was not lost on me.  
“Jonathan…” I spoke in a sing-song voice, tapping his cheek.  
He didn’t come to, so I slapped him. He snapped awake, glaring at me when he realised what had happened. Looking around, his face softened a little as he recognised we were still in his house.  
“Normally a kidnapping involves taking someone away from their home.” He commented calmly.  
“Now why would I do that?” I asked, walking over to one of the bookshelves. “There’s so much here I can use against you.”  
He didn’t reply straight away, and I turned to find him watching me.  
“Do you really think tying me up is going to save you from me?” He studied my face for a reaction. “Maybe you’re not as smart as I thought.”  
I rolled my eyes. “No, of course not. But I’d rather not give you the chance to drug me again while I’m looking around.”  
Opening the drawers of the desk, I rifled through them. There wasn’t much of interest in there, until I found a notebook. Before I could read anything in it, he spoke again.  
“How old were you when your mother left?” He asked, almost laughing at the surprised look on my face. “Don’t look so surprised, it’s written all over you. I’m guessing very early childhood, or even infancy.”  
I walked around to his side of the desk and sat down. “So, we’re starting this already, are we? Good thing I came prepared.” Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the file of photos. I sifted through until I found the few I was looking for, then put the rest away. “How about we discuss you instead? Or…” I trailed off for a moment. “How about we discuss your grandmother?”  
His eyes flashed with anger, and it frightened me a little, but I held firm. I was going to beat him at his own game, no matter the cost.  
“Did you not get my little note?” I gave him a slightly disappointed look. “I guess that makes sense. I wouldn’t want to go back in that church either if I was you.”  
“You don’t want to do this.” He breathed, lowering his head.  
I rested my foot on the edge of the chair, between his legs. “You’re right. I don’t want to do this. But _you_ started this, _you_ decided that you wanted me for something, and _you_ drugged me with a hallucinogen. All I’m doing is protecting myself and making sure that _you_ leave me alone.” I held out the photo, in his eye line. “Now tell me. How did it feel when she locked you in here?”  
Before I could react, he’d somehow untied himself and was standing in front of me, his hand around my throat. With the little air I was getting in, I managed to laugh.  
“Killing me will just prove you aren’t as smart as you think you are.” I wheezed.  
He threw me aside, and I hit the ground hard. Picking myself up, I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. He came at me again, and I got ready to defend myself. But he didn’t attack me, just sprayed something in my face.  
I didn’t know what it was, but it knocked me out pretty quickly.

***

_He drove through the streets, faster than he should have been. It was his fault that she’d crossed paths with Crane, and all he wanted was to fix it. But she was there all alone, and he couldn’t watch over her or make sure she was safe._  
 _He’d never had to watch from the sidelines before, and he’d especially never had to wait blindly for news before either. He’d hoped more than anything that she would only be gone a day, but as it grew closer to 24 hours since he’d last seen her, he was beginning to realise it would likely be a long while before she came home._

***

As I slowly came to, I realised that now _I_ was the one tied to a chair. Only it was Ed standing in front of me, not Crane.  
“Good to see you, Ed.” I said, still a little drowsy.  
He shook his head, adjusting his green suit jacket. “I wish I could say the same for you. I didn’t expect you to confront him face to face like this.”  
“When was the last time we saw each other, before I ended up in Arkham? I’ve done a lot of things you probably wouldn’t expect.” I sighed, stretching my fingers wide to keep the blood flowing through my wrists, which were tied to the arms of the chair. “So, why is Crane so interested in me?”  
“The more I am clever, the more I am good, the more, as a rule, I am misunderstood.” He replied.  
“Really? Right now?” I looked down and thought for a moment. “A riddle.”  
He nodded. “That’s what you are to him. Something to be broken down and solved. Only his methods are… a little more strenuous than most.”  
“Well, where is he?” I asked, looking up at him. “I have a life, and a boyfriend, and I would like to return to both at some point.”  
He shrugged, and left the room. I took a moment to look around, assess my surroundings. There wasn’t really anything I could use, nor any way to get the ropes off, for the room was empty, so I sat and waited. It felt like an hour before the door opened again, and Crane walked in. He wheeled a chair in front of me and sat down.  
“So, is this where you drug me again?” I asked. “After all, you didn’t see the results of your last try.”  
“I have no need to drug you again, not yet.” He pushed his glasses up his nose, rolling his chair closer to me. “What did you hope to achieve by coming here?”  
“Oh, didn’t you hear? I’m an absolute glutton for punishment. I came here just so you would tie me up.” I replied sarcastically.  
“Your sarcasm does you no credit. You use it only to avoid confronting the truth.”  
I shrugged. “At least I don’t have a obsessive need to force others to face their fears as a way of avoiding facing my own.”  
“You think you know me?” He asked, almost laughing.  
“No. And I don’t pretend to.” I leaned against the back of the chair, crossing my legs. “I’m just good at putting pieces together. You made it a lot easier by leaving that church unlocked. That wasn’t very _smart_ of you.”  
The anger flashed in his eyes again, but he managed to control it.  
“Your intelligence does not prove your superiority, nor does it prove that you aren’t just as scared of something as the rest of us.” I watched his blue eyes, looking for a change, a twitch in the mask of his calm face. “You think you’re smart, but I have spent years of my life around men like you, and I know more than most people think.”  
He stood up, untying my hands. “I guess we’ll see.” 


	9. Don’t Turn Your Back on Fear

### Chapter Nine: Don’t Turn Your Back on Fear

_I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. **Frank Herbert, Dune.**_

I woke in a cold sweat, tumbling out of bed. Panicking, I desperately tried to breathe, but the nightmare was quickly overtaking me. It was still dark, so dark that I could barely see my hands, which didn’t help with the fear.  
Suddenly I was hauled up against the wall by an unseen force. As the figure drew close to me, I recognised the burlap mask in front of my face.  
“What has you up so late, girl?” A growling, distorted voice came through the mask. “Are you _afraid_ of something?”  
There was no hiding the fear on my face this time, even as I tried to rip his hand off me. I heard the hiss of an aerosol, and before I even registered what it was, the gas was already inside me.   
He let go of my shirt, disappearing back into the darkness. There was the sound of a door opening, and light flooded the room.   
Coughing, I ran down the hallway. I stumbled as the walls collapsed beside me, the floor disappearing in some places. The house was in ruins, and I had no idea what to do except keep pushing forward.  
I ran, leaping over the holes in the floor, until I came to a corner. I hesitated for a moment, then looked round. There was no one there, so I turned back to take a moment. There was a flash of light, and suddenly my father stood in front of me, blood dripping from the small hole in his forehead.  
I screamed and tried to get away, but he grabbed me, holding me in place.  
“You’re pathetic, just like your mother was. Always trying to run away.” He sneered, squeezing my arm so hard I was sure it would bruise.  
“No! I’m nothing like her! You’re not real!” I shoved him backwards, watching as he fell through the rubble and tumbled backwards into the dark emptiness.   
“Don’t you understand, Brianna?” I heard from above me and looked up, finding Scarecrow crouched on top of the broken wall. I stepped away from him, then took off running.  
“This is my world.” He called. “Everything is as real as I choose it to be.”  
I could hear his footsteps getting closer, but I pushed on, even though I was starting to get tired. His hand brushed against my arm, and I sprinted forward.  
He was so much faster than me, and grabbed my arm, yanking me back against him.   
“You’re nothing like who?” He asked, taking hold of my face. “Your mother? Let’s see what she has to say about that.”  
His thin fingers dug into my cheeks as he turned my head. I knew exactly what I was going to see before it started. Tears streamed down my face as my mother walked towards me. Even though Scarecrow had released me, I felt frozen in place. I was five when this happened, but I’d never forgotten, and I’d never told anyone, not even Dad or Oz.  
“I never wanted you.” She said softly. “But your father insisted. I should have left as soon as you were born, but I loved your father too much.”  
I wasn’t afraid of this moment, even remembering what happened next. I was just angry. Angry at her for hating me, angry at Scarecrow for making me face this, angry at myself for never confronting any of this before now.   
“You ruined my life.” She slapped me, furiously. “I had _everything_ before you came along. I wanted him to leave you, give you to someone else, but no, he couldn’t do that. He loved you more than me.”  
“No.” I said, firmly.  
“Excuse me?” She took hold of my face, just like Scarecrow has moments earlier. “Don’t talk to me like that, I am your mother.”  
I grabbed her hand, ripping it off me. “No. You are not my mother. You don’t deserve that title. I was not a waste of space. I was a child, and you were supposed to care for me. I never asked for anything from you.”  
“Shut up!” She punched me in the stomach, sending me tumbling backwards.  
I got onto my hands and knees, about to stand. But the punch to the gut had hit hard, and I threw up. I wiped my mouth, then managed to get to my feet. I closed my eyes for a moment, wincing in pain.

***

_“She’s standing out in the driveway, and Scarecrow seems to be watching her.” Slade said, leaning against the tree. “There was a lot of shouting and screaming, Oz. Are you sure you don’t want me to end this?”_  
 _“I’m sure.” He replied, sitting down at his desk. “She would never forgive me if I pulled her out before she was ready. Just keep me posted.”_  
 _“I will.” Slade hesitated for a moment, before continuing. “She’s fighting him, every step of the way. You know she’s strong, and she’ll make it through this.”_  
 _“I know.” He sighed, hanging up. It was getting on two days since she’d gone over there, and it was getting harder and harder for him to stay calm and hopeful._

***

Looking around, I found myself alone, in a dark area of a forest. My arm hurt, and straightening up made my abs feel like they would tear apart, but I wasn’t stopping now.  
“Are you too afraid to fight me face to face?” I shouted to the air, slowly turning in circles. “Come on, Scarecrow! Surely it would be far more fun to break me from close up?”  
“I agree.”  
I turned, finding him standing close behind me, Oz kneeling next to him with his mouth taped shut. He held a gun to Oz’s head. It was frustrating not being able to see his face under the mask. I had no way of knowing if I was even breaking through his calm demeanour or whether he still thought I was week.  
“This isn’t real.” I spoke confidently, but inside I was unsure. The drug could have run out for all I knew, and Oz could actually be right there. “There’s no way Oz would come after me. He… promised.”  
“Are you sure?” He asked, his distorted voice making me shiver. “You’ve been in here a long time. Can you really be certain that this isn’t him?”  
He was right. I couldn’t be fully certain. Oz had promised me he would step back and let me handle this, but he worried so much. I was going to have to take a risk, and I needed to be strong for it.  
I took a step forward. “I’m certain. A gun really isn’t your style, and I doubt you would waste a good test subject by shooting them.”  
“You seem pretty sure of that. Are you prepared for the consequences if you’re wrong?”  
Before I could answer, he squeezed the trigger. There was a bang, and blood sprayed from Oz’s head. I jumped, nearly thrown back into my panic, but I held on. Taking my chance, I ran through the trees. The only way I would be able to fight him properly was to catch him by surprise, but that didn’t seem like it would be possible while I was still stuck in this nightmare. So I settled for running far enough that I would get a chance to catch my breath and prepare myself.  
Stopping behind a big tree, I leaned against it and took a few deep breaths. I couldn’t just keep running, so this was going to be my only chance to get out of this mess.  
“Now who’s being a coward?” I heard him call. His footsteps were loud, but they seemed to echo all around me.  
I waited patiently, hoping for a moment I could use. Then I saw him. He was walking away from me.  
Taking one more deep breath, I ran, leaping onto his back and ripping his mask off. We fell to ground, and I was stunned for a moment when my head hit concrete.  
We both climbed to our feet, and I discovered that we were in the driveway of the house. I’d snapped out of the nightmare, and was back in the real world.  
I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that I’d been right. But I only had a second, because Crane, now without his mask, launched himself at me.  
I deflected his attacks and managed to land a few of my own, but I was exhausted and it was getting harder and harder. Balling up my fist, I went in with the strongest punch I could manage. He sidestepped, catching me as I missed and throwing me to the ground.  
Before I could pick myself up yet again, he grabbed me, rolling me over and sitting on my waist. I tried to fight him off, but he wrapped his hands around my throat and began to choke me.  
I scratched at his arms, desperately trying to get him off me. My vision was blurring and darkening, and I grabbed some gravel, throwing it at his face. He was so much stronger than he looked, and I’d really underestimated how fast he was.  
As I slipped closer and closer to unconsciousness, I heard a croak. Then the sound of hundreds of wings flapping. The pressure on my throat released, and I sucked in a huge breath.  
Opening my eyes, I slowly sat up. I heard a panicked moan, and looked around to find Crane cowering as a mix of crows and ravens flew around him. I walked over to him, causing the birds to fly away.  
“Please… don’t.” He begged. It was almost pathetic how fragile he looked, and I nearly felt sorry for him. But he made me feel unsafe in my own home, drugged me, made me hallucinate, and I was not going to stand for that.  
“Don’t what? Make you feel the way you made me feel?” I punched him in the face, not once, but twice, until he was down and I was sure he was unconscious. Then I dragged him towards the church. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be much worse than that.”  
I dragged his unconscious body into the room at the back of church, barricading the door shut. Running back to the house, I sifted through his desk again, grabbing the notebook I’d found before. I also found a big canister of his fear gas. It was my turn, and I wasn’t going to waste it. 


	10. Children of the Night

### Chapter Ten: Children of the Night

_I wonder if fears ever really go away, or if they just lose their power over us. **Veronica Roth, Allegiant**_

I sat in a pew, reading through Crane’s journal. There were details of hundreds of people in there, along with their fears, their phobias, and what he did to them. It was meticulously organised and laid out so well that it was easy to read.  
His “work” was far more widespread than I realised, noticing the names of some high up people in Gotham as I flipped through the pages. Commissioner Gordon, Doctor Young, even Mayor Hill. Not all of these people had been gassed of course, and most of the ones who had were now in Arkham, but before he’d gone off the deep end, he’d been a really respected psychiatrist.  
It took a little while for him to come to, and I sat there, waiting, even though I was exhausted, in pain and hungry. I nodded off a few times though, and I must have completely fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was woken by a frantic banging on the door.  
“You can bang on that door all you want, I’m not letting you out until I’m done with you!” I shouted, ignoring the sound of his fists pounding on the heavy wood.  
“Fuck you!” He shouted, very unlike himself.  
“That’s hardly the language a psychiatrist should be using. Especially not one as well-respected as yourself.”  
He continued to shout, and I knew that there was no point waiting any longer. Picking up the gas canister, I walked over to the door. I turned the tap, then shoved the top into the crack under the door, blocking off the rest so that I didn’t gas myself.  
“Let’s see how you like it.” I said, stepping back.  
I heard him cough. “You wouldn’t dare.”  
“I was thrown in Arkham for carving my name into a man’s body over and over.” I sat on the floor. “This? This is much easier, and you really shouldn’t be surprised.”  
“Please don’t do this, you can still stop it.” He begged.  
“I could, but then you would just keep coming for me. I can’t have that.”   
There was silence for a moment, then he started desperately banging on the door again. He sounded terrified, shouting about birds and darkness.  
“Is this how it felt?” I asked, ignoring his screams of fear. “When she locked you in there, did it feel like this? Is that what you’re seeing right now?”  
“No… No, please don’t.” He whimpered. “I promise I’ll behave.”  
The childlike voice coming from the room snapped me out of my enjoyment. What the fuck was I doing? This wasn’t me, not at all. It was one thing to physically torture someone, but what I was doing now, trying to break Crane’s mind, it wasn’t who I should have been. It wasn’t about feeling morally superior, it was about trying to get back who I used to be.  
As I went through a momentary guilt crisis, it got very quiet inside the room. I quickly talked myself out of what I was doing and ran to the barricade, pulling it apart. Wrapping my jacket around the lower half of my face to stop the gas, I opened the door.  
Crane was sitting in the corner of the room, his hands covering his face. I helped him up, half carrying him out to fresh air, ignoring the pain I was in. Pulling my jacket off my face, I knelt down beside him. He was mumbling something, barely conscious.  
“Snap out of it, Crane.” I demanded, slapping him across the face.  
He flinched, then began to laugh, slowly coming to.  
“I knew you didn’t have the courage.” He coughed, taking a deep breath. “You’re too much of a coward to do what I do.”  
“No.” I grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him so he was sitting up with his face close to mine. “I’m not a coward. I’m stronger than you, because I’m still human. I can still make my own choices, because I’m not driven by obsessive need, like you are.”  
“You still don’t understand.” His blue eyes were staring directly into mine, and I wanted to flinch, to look away, but he didn’t need that ammunition against me.  
“You’re right. I don’t. I don’t want to, nor do I need to understand you.” I let go of him and stood up. “What I need, is for you to stay the fuck out of my life. And either you do that, or I make sure you’re locked up somewhere so secure that you never see the light of day again. Do you understand?”  
He stood up, brushing dirt off his clothes. “Are you really that afraid to push yourself over the edge that you’ll let me win by default?”  
“No. You can’t win if I stop playing your game.” I turned to leave, but stopped when I heard his footsteps behind me. “Oh, and before you try anything, I’m fairly certain that Oz has men in the woods watching. If I shout help, one or more of them will put a bullet in your brain.”  
“How…?”  
I looked back at him. “How do I know? Because I know Oz, and I know that even though he trusted me to deal with you my way, he would want a way to get me out as fast as possible. Oh, and one more thing…” I reached into my sports bra and pulled out my phone, thankful for the small pocket inside that kept it safe even through all the action I’d just been through. “If you want to make sure a girl has nothing on her, you should really check her bra. I would have thought you were smart enough to know that.”  
I didn’t wait for a reply, just jogged off into the trees. As I hit the tree line, all of my adrenaline ran out, and I leaned against a tree, sliding to the ground. Before I could unlock my phone to call Oz, black shoes stepped into my view.   
Looking up, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was Slade.  
“I knew you were watching.” I said, wearily.   
“Come on, let’s get you home.” He helped me up, and we headed towards his car.

***

_“Do you think it’s over?” He asked, closing the bedroom door and turning to Slade._  
 _“I don’t know. It looked like she had him pretty beaten down, mentally anyway.”_  
 _He sighed. “Thank you for getting her out once she was done. I’ll let you know how she is once she wakes up.”_  
 _He watched Slade leave, then quietly stepped back into the bedroom. He lay down beside her, thankful that she was back, but worried that Crane would keep coming for her._  
 _She rolled over, resting her head on his chest. He held her close, not wanting to let her go ever again._

***

“I watched you die.” I whispered, sitting against the head of the bed. “He had a gun to your head, and even though I was doubting whether I was still having hallucinations, I basically told him to shoot you.”  
“It wasn’t real, Bee. I’m right here, and you don’t need to worry.” He touched my arm.  
I shook my head. “It’s not that. I barely hesitated before I said I was sure you weren’t real. If I’d been wrong…”  
“If you were wrong,” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “At least I would have died to make sure you were safe.”  
I burst into tears, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. “I don’t know if he’s going to keep trying, but I had to pull out. I… I was losing myself in that place. Becoming something I’m not.”  
He didn’t reply, just softly running his fingers through my hair. I didn’t need him to say something, as long as I knew he was there with me.  
“We’ve made it this far, I’m not going to let you fall now.” He said finally, not letting me go.  
I pulled away so I could look at him. “Thank you for trusting me… and for sending Slade to keep an eye on me.”  
“I just want to know that whenever you’re out doing something like this, I can get you back quickly if you need me to.” He softly tugged on my shirt, pulling me in so he could kiss me again. “As long as you always come back, you can be as reckless and dangerous as you want, and I will never stop you.”  
“Even if I do something incredibly stupid and poorly thought out?” I laughed.  
“If you’re about to do something you haven’t thought through properly, I might ask you if you should think on it more, but I won’t stop you.”  
I nodded, getting off the bed. Walking to the closet, I pushed Oz’s clothes aside to get to mine.  
“How do you have more clothes than me?” I shook my head with a smile.  
He came over, standing behind me and wrapping his arms arm my waist. Pressing a kiss to my shoulder, he laughed a little. “Maybe I’m just better looking and need more outfits.”  
I turned around, ready to give him an indignant speech, but he kissed me instead. He backed me up against the dresser, sliding his hands under the sides of my shirt. My skin was still warm from being under the covers and his hands were so cool against my waist. I hit one of the handles on the drawers, flinching as it scraped along my back.  
“Ow.” I flinched, pulling away from the kiss. “The drawer.”  
“I’m sorry, love. Turn around, let me have a look.”  
I did so, and he crouched down, gently lifting the back of my shirt to check.  
“It’s bleeding. Go sit down on the bed and I’ll grab the first aid kit.”  
I followed him back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, pulling my shirt off. It wasn’t too bad, just stung a little. Not as much as the alcohol wipe he used on it though.  
“There’s a party at the conservatory tomorrow.” He said, as he fixed me up. “Do you think you’ll be up to coming?”  
“One more good night’s sleep and I’ll be fine.” I nodded. “I’d love to go. If you promise to take me dress shopping for it.”  
He brushed my hair out of the way, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck. “I guess I could do that.” 


	11. Paradise Found

### Chapter Eleven: Paradise Found

_What was closure if not a clock? Not an end as everyone imagined, but a beginning. **Celeste Chaney, In Absence of Fear**_

“Are you alright?” Oz asked, sensing my restlessness.  
I nodded. “Just a little edgy, I guess.”  
He leaned over to press a kiss to my cheek, just as the car pulled up in front of the conservatory. It was a beautiful glass building, surrounded by and filled with flowers.  
I climbed out after him, thankful that I’d gone with a cocktail dress that was easier to move in, rather than my usual long dress with a train. It was easy to pretend that it was a fashion decision, but the truth was, I wanted to be able to run if I needed to. I was over-cautious, unsure whether I was truly safe, and I had a sneaking suspicion that something would happen at this party.  
Crane didn’t seem like the kind of person who would care that I told him I wasn’t going to be part of his game. I was pretty sure he would find a way to make me part of it, where I wanted to be or not.  
We stepped inside, close to the crowd of people, and Oz turned to me.  
“I’ll go get you a drink. You look like you could use one.” He squeezed my hand.  
“Thank you.” I nodded. “I’ll wait here.”  
I stood there for a moment, a little awkwardly, until I felt someone touch my arm. My anxiety spiked for a moment, but then I saw it was Slade. He looked uncomfortable in his suit, but that wasn’t new. He’d never been one for dressing nice.  
“Thanks for getting me out.” I said, hugging him.  
“You lasted longer in that place than I expected.” He commented, tucking his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know what you saw in there, but you looked equal parts furious and terrified.”  
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s about how I was feeling.”  
Oz returned with my drink, sliding his arm around my waist.  
“It’s good to see you, Slade.” He held me close. “I wasn’t sure if we’d see you here tonight.”  
Slade shrugged. “I figured I should really learn how to blend in at a party. Some people seem to like the personal touch when they hire people like me.”  
“I think it’s a good skill to have.” I sipped my drink.  
“I’ll see you two later.” He headed over to other people.  
I turned to Oz. “Well, you got me here. How are you planning on making it worth my while?”  
“I thought we could mingle for the shortest amount of time possible, have a dance, then…” He ran his finger along the edge of the silk scarf I was wearing. “We could sneak off somewhere, disappear for a little while.”  
“Oh? I have a better idea.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “We could ignore the people, dance and then disappear.”  
“That’s a much better idea, you’re right.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Unfortunately, there are people here I do have to talk to, so I’m afraid I can’t skip that part.”  
I nodded, pulling away and finishing my drink. “In that case, I’m going to go to the bathroom, then I’m getting another drink. I’ll find you soon, alright?”  
Walking through the crowd of people, I made my way to the bathroom. As I stepped inside, I touched my thigh, making sure I could still the knife I had strapped there. I didn’t think I would need to use it, but it helped me feel a little safer.  
I stood at the sink, resting my hands on the bench and looking down at them. Not feeling like myself, I hesitated to go back out there, with all those people who didn’t understand. Even Oz, who listened to everything I had to say, didn’t understand how I was feeling, how scared I was.  
Every second of the past 24 hours had been filled with fear. A fear of not knowing whether Crane was going to be around every corner, whether I would be gassed again, whether the next time would drive me insane.  
I looked up, but before I even had a chance to even notice that someone was standing behind me, my head was slammed forward into the mirror. Shards of glass dropped to the bench as I fell backwards onto the floor.  
“Did you miss me, _Brianna_?” That familiar voice said, as Crane’s face popped into view.  
I was dazed, but I pushed through, trying to fight him off. He hauled me up against the wall, his face so close to mine.  
“What do you want?” I snapped. “Didn’t you get enough from me?”  
“You ruined it.” He shouted, shaking me. “Locking me in that room, with your pathetic emotional talk. You made me _hurt_ again.”  
I was momentarily shocked, but then I laughed in his face. “I’m pathetic?” Bracing against the wall, I kicked him in the knee and knocked him to the floor. “I’m not the one who can’t perform because of feelings.” I held him down with my foot in his chest, my heel digging into his skin. “I’m not the one who is so defined by their past that they obsess to the point of insanity.”  
He tried to push me off, but I pressed down harder. I pulled out my phone, trying to steady myself as I called Oz. I was feeling a little dizzy from having my head slammed into the mirror and I needed backup.  
“Is everything alright?” Oz asked, concerned.  
“Not particularly, no. Do you think you could give me a hand?”  
“Is it Crane?”  
I hesitated, not wanting to admit that I’d gotten myself in trouble again. “Yes…”  
“I’ll be right there.”  
I hung up, looking down at Crane. He hit my foot, shoving me off.  
“Waiting for your boyfriend to come rescue you?” He asked, sitting up.  
“Shut the fuck up.” I kicked him in the face, unsteadily leaning against the wall as the world seemed to tilt a little below me.  
He laughed, wiping blood off his lip.  
There was a moment of silence, then the bathroom door opened, and Oz came running in, with another man in tow. He caught me as I began to slide down the wall, holding me up. I looked around to see the other man hauling Crane off the ground and dragging him out the door.  
“How are you feeling?” Oz asked, drawing my attention back to him.  
“My head hurts, and I feel so dizzy.” I pressed my hand to my forehead. When I pulled it away, there was blood on my palm. “Is it bad?”  
He shook his head. “I don’t think it will even leave a scar. But you might have a concussion.”  
“I was just standing at the sink, and he just came up from behind me and slammed my head into the mirror.” I took hold of his jacket to balance myself better. “Who was that guy?”  
“Detective Flass from the GCPD. I’ve been paying him to do work for me on the side.” He wiped some blood off my cheek. “Come on, let’s get you checked out by a doctor.”

***

_“How is she?” He asked, as the doctor closed the bedroom door._  
 _“She’ll be fine. Just let her rest.” She picked up her bag. “If she has any headaches, she can have an over-the-counter painkiller, but nothing stronger. If she starts to vomit or the dizziness gets worse, get her to a hospital.”_  
 _He nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on her. Thank you for checking her out.”_  
 _When she was gone, he picked up his laptop and quietly crept into the bedroom. Crane was unlikely to come after her again, but he didn’t want her to have to worry about anything for a while. He had an idea, but there were a couple of things he would need to take care of first._

***

I sleepily rolled over, ignoring the pounding in my head. Oz was quietly using his laptop beside me, and he didn’t notice that I had woken up. It was nice, just watching him as he typed away. After a few moments, I softly touched his arm.  
“What time is it?” I asked, slowly sitting up.  
“Nearly midday. How are you feeling?”  
I rubbed my eyes. “Like I’ve got a bad hangover. Am I allowed to take anything? I fell asleep pretty quickly after the doctor left.”  
“Here.” He handed me a sheet of pills and some water. “She said you’ll be fine. And that you need to rest.”  
“And Crane?”  
He closed his laptop, turning to me. “I’ve been assured he’s being transported somewhere that he won’t get out of for a very long time.”  
“So… It’s over?” I asked, nearly in tears.  
“It’s over.” He took hold of my hand. “I promise, he won’t hurt you again.”  
I nodded, lying down on my side, facing away from him. I was crying again, but it was tears of relief this time, not fear, not anger, not sadness. He lay down behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist.  
“I feel like I should be excited that he’s gone, that we’re finally free, but I don’t. I feel relieved, but I don’t feel free.” I whispered.  
“I thought you might feel like that.” He placed the laptop down in front of me, opening it. “Which is why I organised a trip for us, so we can get out of the city for a few weeks.”  
He woke the computer up, revealing the website of a hotel in Rome. “I thought we could start in Rome, then travel all around Italy. But I want you to decide, this is about you.”  
“I don’t know what to say.” I rolled onto my back, looking up at him. “I’m too tired to think, but I love you so much. This… is the best gift I’ve ever been given.”  
He softly kissed me, brushing my hair off my face. “You are so important to me, and I will do anything to make sure you feel safe here again. I love you.” He traced my lips with his finger, before leaning in to kiss me again. “Now, you need some rest. You stay here and watch something, and I’ll get you something to eat.”  
He got up to leave, but I stopped him.  
“I’ll come out to the lounge. I can still rest out there.” I climbed out of the bed, hesitating when a wave of dizziness washed over me. “Or, maybe I’ll just stay here.” Sitting back down, I rested my head in my hands.  
He knelt down in front of me. “Just lie down, love. I’ll get you anything you need.”  
I nodded, doing as I was told. I quickly fell asleep again, but it was better sleep, because I didn't have to be afraid of Crane anymore. 


End file.
